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Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh on Monday officially opened the 2025 Sierra Leone Policy Conference on Financing for Development, a high-level national dialogue aimed at mobilizing sustainable financing to accelerate President Julius Maada Bio’s Big Five Game Changers and the country’s vision of becoming an inclusive, green, middle-income nation by 2039.
The three-day conference, jointly convened by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the United Nations, brings together development partners, private sector leaders, academics, civil society, and financial institutions to explore innovative solutions for domestic and external development financing.
In his keynote address, Dr. Sengeh emphasized that the conference builds on President Bio’s vision to accelerate national development. Highlighting Sierra Leone’s participation at the Seville Conference on Financing for Development, he said the event provides a platform to translate global commitments into concrete actions that benefit citizens, from expanding domestic revenue to supporting everyday livelihoods.
Dr. Sengeh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to delivering on the Big Five Game Changers Feed Salone, Human Capital Development, Youth Employment, Public Service Reform, and Technology & Infrastructure stressing that strategic financing is critical to achieving these national priorities.
The conference aims to mobilize innovative and sustainable financing solutions to advance Sierra Leone’s national development priorities. It provides a platform for knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, capacity building, and partnership development while strengthening research-based decision-making. Expected outcomes include expanded domestic revenue, improved public financial management, new investment avenues aligned with the Big Five, enhanced coordination across government and partners, and a consolidated national action agenda to ensure effective implementation and measurable impact for citizens.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development Kenyeh Barlay noted that Sierra Leone will require at least US$2.6 billion in new financing over the next five years to fully implement the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030). She stressed the urgency of innovative solutions, financial inclusion, and leveraging private sector engagement to support the Big Five priorities.
UN Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana highlighted the global US$4 trillion SDG financing gap and praised Sierra Leone’s proactive role in translating Seville commitments into national action. She called for stronger global partnerships and equitable financial reforms to support developing countries.
Dr. Samuel Bonzu, President of the Economics Association of Sierra Leone, emphasized the role of research and data in shaping sustainable financing policies, while Minister of Finance Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura presented strategic pathways for fiscal management, revenue mobilization, and investment to support national priorities.
